ELECTROHYDRODYNAMIC NEBULISER (eNEB) FOR DIRECT PULMONARY DRUG DELIVERY APPLICATION

We present a new method of nebulisation based on electrohydrodynamic atomisation (EHDA) for use in pulmonary drug delivery application. Our device named electrohydrodynamic nebuliser (eNEB) is a single-step platform to directly produce and deliver micro/nano particles. We applied the working principle of EHDA but employed a sharp pin as reference electrode. As the device works, solution is atomised into plume of particles with sizes under 1 mu m and the pin generates ion wind which results in not only reduction of net charge but also propulsion in the particle cloud. The device was able to fabricate particles and fibres from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), at concentrations 5 wt% and 20 wt%. A 5-day growth of breast cancer cells was assayed to investigate the effectiveness for medical applications.